"Love and loyalty to one's homeland, as well as an understanding of basic competencies, do not require a diploma," said Mamuka Mdinaradze, chairman of the Georgian Dream faction, in response to a question about the education of presidential candidate Mikheil Kavelashvili.
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According to Mdinaradze, it is no coincidence that the constitutions of many countries do not include a diploma among the electoral qualifications for members of parliament or the presidency.
“There is a reason why a diploma is not required for members of parliament or the president, and this is not unique to the Georgian constitution. ...
Well, our presidents had one or even two diplomas - did they build the country?” noted Mamuka Mdinaradze.
He expressed confidence that Mikheil Kavelashvili would be a non-partisan leader who would serve Georgia’s interests.
“Now they will start using 'anti-Western rhetoric' and saying all sorts of things, but in reality, this person guarantees that the president of Georgia will no longer serve the interests of other countries or specific groups originating from them. He will serve his homeland, guided by his personal and Georgian qualities. I am also convinced that he will be a non-partisan leader, despite how subjective he may seem today… and he will make every effort to focus on unifying topics, which is especially important given the current situation,” Mdinaradze said.
Mikheil Kavelashvili does not hold a higher education degree. For this reason, he was unable to participate in the 2015 elections for the presidency of the Football Federation. At the time, Kavelashvili explained that during the Soviet Union, “it was unthinkable for a football player to receive a higher education.”
In 2016, Kavelashvili entered parliament as a majoritarian deputy from the Georgian Dream party, representing first Sanzona and later Nadzaladevi for eight years. To date, no document has been uploaded to the parliament’s website to confirm his secondary or higher education.
Kavelashvili is one of the leaders of the People’s Power party, known for its anti-Western rhetoric. He supported the Russian-style law on so-called foreign agents, which hindered Georgia’s EU accession process.
He and other members of the People’s Power party were listed as candidates on the Georgian Dream party’s ticket for the 2024 parliamentary elections. However, on November 25, following the Georgian Dream’s convening of the 11th parliamentary session, Kavelashvili was declared an illegitimate member of parliament.
